some of my favourite QUOTES

I’m going to turn on the light, and we’ll be two people in a room looking at each other and wondering why on earth we were afraid of the dark. ~Gale Wilhelm

Come to the edge, He said. They said: we are afraid. Come to the edge, He said. They came. He pushed them, and they flew. ~Guillaume Apollinaire

The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself. ~Henry Miller

Life can only take place in the present moment. If we lose the present moment, we lose life. ~Buddha

Why wait? Life is not a dress rehearsal. Quit practicing what you’re going to do, and just do it. In one bold stroke you can transform today. ~Marilyn Grey

The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep. ~Robert Frost

The more a man knows, the more he forgives. ~Confucious

Make it a rule never, if possible, to lie down at night without being able to say, “I have made one human being at least a little wiser, a little happier or a little better this day.” ~Charles Kingsley

Night is purer than day; it is better for for thinking and loving and dreaming. At night everything is more intense, more true. The echo of words that have been spoken during the day takes on a new and deeper meaning. The tragedy of man is that he doesn’t know how to disinguish bewteen day and night. He says things at night that should only be said by day. ~ Elie Wiesel

I don’t break the rules. I merely test their elasticity. ~Bill Veck

I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation. ~George Bernard Shaw

Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth. ~John F. Kennedy

Beauty is not caused. It is. ~Emily Dickinson

Forever is composed of nows. ~Emily Dickinson

If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain. ~Emily Dickinson

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams not mortal ever dared to dream before. ~Edgar Allen Poe


The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. ~Nelson Mandela
 

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.  We are all meant to shine, as children do.  We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.  And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.  ~Marianne Williamson

Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever been blue? Or thought your train moving while sitting still? Maybe I was just crazy. Maybe it was the 60′s. Or maybe I was just a girl… interrupted. ~Girl, Interrupted (Film)

I know what it’s like to want to die. How it hurts to smile. How you try to fit in but you can’t. How you hurt yourself on the outside to try to kill the thing on the inside. ~Girl, Interrupted (Film)

Was I ever crazy? Maybe. Or maybe life is… Crazy isn’t being broken or swallowing a dark secret. It’s you or me amplified. If you ever told a lie and enjoyed it. If you ever wished you could be a child forever. They were not perfect, but they were my friends and by the ’70s most of them were out living lives. Some I’ve seen, some never again, but there isn’t a day my heart doesn’t find them. ~Girl, Interrupted (Film)

One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again. ~Abraham Maslow

I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart. I am, I am, I am. ~Sylvia Plath

I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity. ~Edgar Allen Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary. ~Edgar Allen Poe

Men have called me mad; but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence – whether much that is glorious – whether all that is profound – does not spring from disease of thought – from moods of mind exalted at the expense of general intellect. ~Edgar Allen Poe

To grasp the full significance of life is the actor’s duty, to interpret it is his problem, and to express it his dedication.  ~Marlon Brando

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. ~ Mark Twain

While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior. ~Henry C. Link

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything; but I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ~Edward Hale

People often say that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves. ~Salma Hayek

Every one of those keen moments has left its trace, and lives in us still, but such traces have blent themselves irrecoverably with the firmer texture of our youth and manhood; and so it comes that we can look on at the troubles of our children with a smiling disbelief in the reality of their pain…Surely if we could recall that early bitterness, and the dim guesses, the strangely perspectiveless conception of life that gave the bitterness its intensity, we should not pooh-pooh the griefs of our children. (George Elliot – Mill on the Floss – Chapter VII)

I am the entire human race compacted together. I have found that there is no ingredient of the race which I do not possess in either a small way or a large way. ~Mark Twain

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. ~Ambrose Redmoon

Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
My doctor says that I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fibre, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes. ~Douglas Adams

Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish. ~John Jakes

There has to come a time when you have to stand up and shout: This is me damn it! I look the way I look, think the way I think, feel the way I feel, love the way I love! I am a whole complete package. Take me…or leave me. Accept me – or walk away! Do not try to make me feel like less of a person, just because I don’t fit your idea of who I should be and don’t try to change me to fit your mold. If I need to change, I alone will make that decision. When you are strong enough to love yourself 100%, good and bad – you will be amazed at the opportunities life presents you. ~Stacey Charter

Individuality is only possible if it unfolds from wholeness. ~David Bohm

Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. ~ Dr. Seuss

You’re only given a little spark of madness. Don’t lose it. ~Robin Williams

The only worse thing than being talked about is not being talked about. ~Oscar Wilde

It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. –Krishnamurti

Laughter is the closest distance between two people. ~Victor Borge

These are not books, lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves. ~Gilbert Highet

Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart. ~Washington Irving

If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded. -Maya Angelou

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K. ~Ted Theodore Logan

Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation. ~Unknown

Have you had your existential angst today? ~Unknown

Buddha's prophecy of Jesus

 Buddha's prophecy of Jesus

Buddha Mudra

Buddha Mudra

50 Peaceful Things

50 Peaceful Things
by Lori Deschene

“Peace is not something you wish for. It’s something you make, something you do, something you are, and something you give away.” ~Robert Fulghum

Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time visiting 1000 Awesome Things, a blog devoted to the many simple pleasures in life. Some of them remind me of being a kid, like this one about celebrities on Sesame Street. Others remind of me I’m stronger than I think, like this one about getting through difficult situations.

With that in mind, you can imagine how excited I am to receive a copy of Neil’s upcoming book, aptly named The Book of Awesome. I’m even more excited that I’ll be able to give away two autographed copies when I write my review. (Coming soon!)

In the meantime, as a way to pay tribute to this awesome book and my awesome new friend, I’ve decided to create my own awesome list, tinybuddha style.

Here are 50 peaceful things to help you be mindful and happy throughout the day:
1. Laying in bed for a few minutes in the morning before hopping into your day. There’s no reason to rush.

2. Eating breakfast slowly, at a table, instead of grabbing something on the go.

3. Listening to your favorite music on the way to work, and remembering when you first heard it. Where you were, who you were with, how you felt.

4. Hugging someone you know long enough to make it meaningful.

5. Appreciating something you take for granted, like your feet for taking you where you need to go.

6. Focusing solely on the smell of your coffee as it brews.

7. Noticing something thoughtful a stranger does for someone else. (There are a lot of beautiful people out there).

8. Watching a coworker get proud about doing something well and feeling happy for them. Nothing’s more calming than focusing on someone else and forgetting yourself for a while.

9. Getting into the zone typing, like finger-moving meditation, maybe set the rhythm of a great tune on your iPod.

10. Doing only one thing, even though you have a lot to do, to fully enjoy what you’re doing.

11. Knowing you did a good job and taking a few minutes to bask in self satisfaction. You’re pretty awesome.

12. Expressing how you feel and then letting it be without feeling pressure to explain (pressure we usually put on ourselves).

13. Taking a break without anything to do besides breathing and noticing little details in your environment. How soft the rug is after having been cleaned. How sunlight from your window leaves shadows on your desk.

14. Holding someone’s hand in both of yours when you thank them.

15. Listening to someone talk–really hearing them–without thinking about what you’ll say next.


16. Remembering a time when you felt peaceful, and going back there in your head.

17. Writing a thoughtful, hand-written note to someone, even if you could email, because you feel more connected when you write it out.

18. Channeling your inner Kevin Rose and savoring a cup of loose leaf tea.

19. Forgiving someone, not just in words, but by feeling compassion for them.

20. Writing down thoughts that keep racing through your head, crumpling up the paper, and throwing it away. Being done with them.

21. Letting yourself have lunch without any thoughts of work.

22. Doing something slowly and finding it more fun than you realized when you rushed through it.

23. Holding a smooth rock in your palm and feeling stable and grounded.

24. Believing someone else when they say everything will be OK.

25. Feeling whatever you feel without judging it, knowing it will pass. It always does.

26. Making a short video of your child or niece, and watching it in the middle of the day when the world seems to be moving too fast.

27. Watching something in nature and letting yourself be intrigued. Feeling wonder at something simple that man hasn’t touched or changed.

28. Finding something beautiful in chaos, like the love between your loud family members at the dinner table, or one raindrop dripping down your window as you navigate a traffic-congested road.

29. Thinking something and realizing you can change your thoughts whenever you want. You don’t have to dwell in a painful memory–you can make a better one right now.

30. Telling someone you love them, not because you want to hear it back, but because you feel it too deeply not to express it. Because expressing it makes you happy.

31. Realizing there’s nothing to worry about. You can be happy right now–you have everything you need to smile.

32. Doing something creative and childlike, like making someone a card or coloring. Even as an adult, it feels good to pick all the right colors and stay mostly in the lines. Or go out of the lines and embrace it. It’s your picture!

33. Giving someone you love the benefit of the doubt to put your mind at ease and maintain a peaceful relationship.

34. Rolling down the window when you drive and feeling the pressure of the cool air on your face.

35. Calling one of your parents in the middle of the day to thank them for everything they’ve done–everything they’ve given you that one crazy afternoon can’t diminish or take away.

36. Taking a walk with no destination in mind, just to see what’s out there to be seen.

37. Letting go of something you’ve been holding onto that does nothing but stress you out.

38. Telling someone why knowing them makes you lucky.

39. Letting someone have their opinion; knowing you can honor it without changing or compromising yours.

40. Setting out on a joy mission–looking for something to do solely to experience fully present, open-to-possibilities bliss.

41. Defining peaceful for yourself. If peace is yelling, “I’m the king of the world!” while jogging around a track, do it with abandon.

42. Listening to a song that gives you goosebumps and creating a mental montage of moments that made you happy.

43. Turning off all your electronics to read without distractions.

44. Doing something by candlelight and remembering a simpler time.

45. Closing your eyes and dancing to a song you can feel pulsating in your veins.

46. Turning off your cell phone, no matter who might call or text, because there’s something you’d like to do with all your heart and attention.

47. Sitting in a sauna, and letting the heat melt all your stresses away.

48. Finally making time for something you want to do but always say you don’t have time for.

49. Making eye contact with a stranger and feeling connected to a world larger than your own.

50. Letting yourself lay in bed at night without making a mental inventory of things that went wrong today or could go wrong tomorrow.

And one last peaceful thing: being grateful for new friends with awesome ideas, and letting them inspire you.

Lucky Buddha

The Buddha of Wealth
We have nothing to lose. �They say whoever receives this buddha will recieve an abundance of unexpected money or some very good news

Benefits Of Wearing Thai Amulets

Benefits Of Wearing Thai Amulets
What are Thai Amulets?
Buddha is the national religion of Thailand. More than 95 per cent of the people in Thailand are Buddhist. Buddhist temples can be found all over the country. Similarly, Buddhist amulets and other holy items are very common in Thailand. They can be easily found in Buddhist temples, holy item special shops, shops along the streets and stalls. The designs of Buddhist amulets are more or less the same but the prices are significantly different. Most Buddhist amulet buyers hope that the amulets they have bought can protect them. To differentiate between the genuine and the fake amulets, we need to identify the energy each amulet possesses.

This energy is produced by senior monks, using scriptures, ash and other holy items that come with continuous blessing and chanting which may take few months up to more than ten years. An old amulet is more than half a century old whereas a new one is more than a year old. However, the level of energy cannot be determined by the age alone but more importantly by the monk's personal capability, chanting ability and scripture's incantation. Buddhist amulets, like Buddhist statues, cannot be placed lower than the position of your waist. When getting Buddhist amulets and other holy items to any Buddhist centres, you must get an expert to guide you through the ways to lay offerings, to consecrate, to wear and to chant. The details of these procedures are important.

Why can amulets emit supernatural powers?
The Buddha, Bodhisattva, Arhat represents the 'righteousness' between the heaven and the earth. So, as long as the Buddhists are 'sincere' and 'faithful', then their 'confidence' will get in touch with the 'righteousness' from the Buddha and Bodhisattva, hence getting support and protection from the power of the Buddha. Their way will then be 'lit' by the 'light of Buddha' and they will lead a happy and satisfactory life, free from misfortune.

However, in the busy life today, probably because of the tense daily life or the influence of merits and interests, the Buddhists treat praying to Buddha, wearing amulets or even reciting Buddha scriptures as ways of getting and hoping for physical comforts and material enjoyment. They know how to demand but they do not know how to upgrade themselves. They do not want to work but just want to get salaries. They just know how to demand for wealth, partners, fame, prosperous business, winning lotteries, bodies that cannot be hurt by bullets and other weapons, and so on, every day. It is really strange as their demands do not accord with Buddha's teachings. So, what do you think the Buddha can do?

In fact, every Buddhist should know Buddha emphasises on 'predestined relationship' regardless of 'good' or 'bad' one. In Buddha's teachings, the 'predestined relationship' that has been cultivated is the cause and effect. Therefore, there are things which we cannot demand. Take gambling as an example.
You wear a talisman that has been chanted and blessed when you go to gamble. You lose in the first round but win in the second and third rounds. However, you lose terribly in the fourth round but win again in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. This whole incident implies that your luck is bad today and you must stop gambling and leave. But, if you are stubborn and still want to try up to the end, then you will lose everything. By then, who do you want to blame?

The incident above, with regard to wearing amulets or talismans, is called 'relationship obstruction'. This is caused by too much of greed and confidence in yourself, making no interaction between you and the talisman. The talisman cannot function and this is the effect of stubbornness.

Lastly, to remind you again gambling is one of the five things prohibited in Buddha. So, please do not treat gambling as your 'career'. It would be the best if you do not gamble at all. But if you really cannot avoid it and find it hard to control yourself, please not to 'lose' your friendship and the 'right Buddha heart' because of gambling, and become intoxicated with your 'strong desire to gamble' and make your life 'hell'.


Why can amulets help prevent misfortune and avoid evil things?
As what we have mentioned earlier, the Buddha represents the healthy trends between the heaven and the earth. Any talismans that are carved with pictures of the Buddha, sutra or incantations means in this universe there is supreme, righteous and wise Buddha. The Buddha's mercy and willingness can help solve all the hatred and resentment arisen for amulet wearers and bring them 'brightness' and 'happiness'.

Wearing amulets that are chanted can help us avoid dangerous situations because of the resonance produced from the Buddha's willingness and amulet wearers' faith When we are in danger, our body will respond to it — our heart beats faster, our blood becomes cold and we will shout in shock for help. When these reactions occur, the amulets we are wearing will respond to the reactions by sending signals to the nearby 'holy spirits' or 'Buddha', 'arhat'; and together with the enormous spiritual power from the Buddha, the amulets will emit unbelievable power to save the wearers from dangerous situations or miseries.
We have heard about the power of amulets and talismans and the disciples who were saved by them. They said in unison that they saw a ray of 'white light' or 'red light' passing by when they were in danger, and they were thrown to few metres away and so escaped unhurt. Those who had experienced it agreed unanimously that the 'light' from amulets or talismans is the symbol of the Buddha's power. And, the power is the 'righteousness' that is specially used to handle evil things and evil force.

However, amulets wearers must bear in mind that if their 'root of trouble' or 'doom' is caused by the karma as stated in Buddha and not evils that want to do harm, then the amulets or talismans will not be able to settle the 'doom' because the Buddha is fair to everyone. The root of trouble caused by us must be solved and repaid by us so that we can reach the complete cycle of the 'state of Buddha'. Only by doing so, it is fair to every Buddhist and the Buddha can then be regarded as supreme, righteous and wise.

The amulets or talismans worn by disciples have its protective functions. They can prevent the evil things or force from harming wearers who have the right faith and 'reciting power'. However, if the wearers are ungrateful, have ulterior motive and do not believe in karma, then they must responsible for the bad deeds they have done. After all, amulets and talismans will not help people to do bad deeds.

http://www.thaibuddha-amulet.com/forum/index.php?topic=14.0

Money Money

The Buddha of Wealth

We have nothing to lose. They say whoever receives this Buddha will receive an abundance of unexpected money or some very good news.